Draws for D-I Women's Team Indoor Released with Georgia and Texas A&M Top Seeds; Keiser Women and Georgia Gwinnett Men Win NAIA Team Indoor Titles; Kalamazoo Champions Abound at Dallas Open; Johnston Earns Second ATP Point at Sunrise FL $15K

The draws for the ITA Women's Team Indoor Championships were revealed today, and because there are two sites/hosts this year for the first time, two teams are No. 1 seeds. Despite their home loss to North Carolina last weekend, Georgia is the No. 1 seed at Northwestern, the site that will host the semifinals and finals as well as half the first round and half the quarterfinals. Texas A&M is the No. 1 seed in the University of Illinois portion of the tournament; both hosts are seeded eighth and will play the No. 1 seeds in the first round Friday.

First round matchups and times (all times Central) Friday February 7th at Northwestern site:

Georgia[1] v Northwestern[8] 6:30 pm 

Stanford[4] v Auburn[5] 3:30 pm

Tennessee[6] v Virginia[3] 9 am

Pepperdine[7] v North Carolina[2] noon

First round matchups and times (all times Central) Friday February 7th at Illinois site:

Texas A&M[1] v Illinois[8] 6:30 pm

Oklahoma State[4] v Texas[5] 3:30 pm

Oklahoma[6] v UCLA[3] noon

LSU[7] v Michigan[2] 9 am

While Georgia didn't drop after their loss, North Carolina gained after beating the Bulldogs, moving up to from last week's ranking of 8 to a No. 2 seed. The same for Michigan, who was 7 last week before its win over Virginia last weekend. 

For more details on tickets, directions and the schedule, which includes a day off (Sunday) for the semifinalists and finalists, see the ITA tournament page.

For more on several enhancements to the National Indoor Championships, including Electronic Line Calling, see this recent ITA release.

With all the Top 10 Division I matches last weekend, I completely missed that the ITA NAIA Team Indoor Championships, now in its third year, were played in Overland Park Kansas. 

The Georgia Gwinnett men won their second straight title, beating Tennessee Wesleyan 4-3, while the Keiser women, who won the inaugural edition of the event, kept the Georgia Gwinnett women from claiming their second straight with a 4-1 victory.  For more on both finals, see this recap from the ITA.

Only two tournaments, both for men, are being played in the United States this week. At the ATP 500 Dallas Open, where the first round concludes Wednesday, two Kalamazoo 18s finalists, both of who lost to Learner Tien in the finals met last night. 2022 Kalamazoo finalist Ethan Quinn(Georgia), who qualified for the main draw, defeated wild card and 2023 Kalamazoo finalist Trevor Svajda, a sophomore at SMU, 6-4, 6-2. Quinn will play No. 3 seed Tommy Paul in the second round; Paul survived a serious test from 2018 Kalamazoo champion Jenson Brooksby, who is returning to competition after nearly two years due to injuries and a drug testing whereabouts suspension. Paul, who needed over two and a half hours to get past wild card Brooksby 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4, is coached by Brad Stine, who worked with Quinn as a junior in Fresno and coached both players from their boxes last night and today. Paul won the Kalamazoo 16s title in 2013.

The other American advancing to the second round is No. 5 seed Frances Tiafoe, the 2015 Kalamazoo 18 champion, who defeated Taro Daniel of Japan 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 Monday evening.

The other men's tournament in the United States is on the other end of the pro tour: a $15,000 tournament in Sunrise Florida. 

Last week's $15K Palm Coast champion Garrett Johns(Duke) is in the draw, but is seeded No. 8 this week, after being the No. 2 seed last week. Last week's top seed Tommaso Compagnucci of Italy was the No. 3 seed this week, but he was beaten by 17-year-old Noah Johnston 6-1, 6-2.  Johnston, who used the ITF's junior reserved program for entry, got his first ATP point in November at a $15K in Boca Raton. He has committed to the University of Georgia for this fall. 

The other American JR entry went to Jack Kennedy, who plays qualifier Marlon Vankan of Germany in the first round Wednesday. Like Johnston, Kennedy will be playing for his second ATP point. Miguel Tobon of Colombia received a third junior reserved spot.

Wild cards were awarded to 16-year-old Ryan Cozad, who has drawn top seed Roberto Cid(South Florida) of the Dominican Republic, 18-year-old Rafael Botran Neutze of Guatemala, Axel Nefve(Notre Dame, Florida) and Will Grant(Florida).

Two of the qualifiers are from the United States: Jackson Ross(Auburn, Texas-San Antonio) and Michael Zhu(Michigan). Another Michigan alum, No. 2 seed Patrick Maloney, is playing for the first time since winning the singles and doubles at the $25K in Ithaca early last month.